Western civilization can thank Ancient Greek culture for many of its contributions that have shaped contemporary government, medicine, sports and philosophies and shaped present-day living. However, one of Greek’s most overlooked contributions may be the conception and evaluation of beauty. Even though, one can argue that beauty is subjective and that everyone has their own preferences, a societal “convention” regarding beauty does exist. Ancient Greece’s attitude towards beauty is very similar to the modern idolization of beauty that’s propelled through media and is very evident in the beauty standards our society has.
Understanding Ancient Greek’s ideal of Beauty
Ancient Greece’s concept of beauty was associated with the idea of “goodness”, so it’s not surprising to see how their heroes and divinity in Greek mythology were characterized by beauty (Varanese, 2013). We can get a better understanding of their beauty ideals through analyzing Ancient Greek art, particularly in the Hellenistic and Classical periods. Initially, body representation was evident through naturalistic crafted stone sculptures originating in the Ancient Greek’s Archaic period called kouros – or youths – that were rigid in stature and had a heavily stylized sense of human anatomy (Pomeroy et al., 2019). Overtime, though this style transformed to capture the human body in a form as lifelike as possible. It was during the Classical period there was a shift in attention to detail and idealized perception of anatomy so that structures appeared more realistic (Pomeroy et al., 2019). Hence, we can infer that their concept of beauty was based on a pleasing balance and proportion of form. Once the Hellenistic period emerged, sculptors further perfected naturalism in their art by focusing greater attention into the body’s form and expression so that an emotional response was elicited (Pomeroy et al., 2019). The shift in their artistic techniques regarding balance and harmony can be interpreted as how their art didn’t only reflect so much how people looked but was more so an expression of their desired state of souls (Reid, 2012). For example, considering that the classical sculptures of athletes were to commemorate a particular God as a memorial of a victory, several of these sculptures exhibit modesty and serenity – by gazing downward and to the side (Reid, 2012).
Analysis of Specific Greek Artwork
Despite Hellenistic Greek art moving towards the use of more natural poses, sculptors certainly emphasized certain body parts. A famous set of sculptures that depict the male athletic form is the Riace Warriors, though they are usually referred to as “Statue A” and “Statue B” (Becker, n.d.). Both statues exhibit males with smooth skin, beards, and muscular physiques. Notice how they appear chiseled and in particular the accentuation of the muscle that extends from the pelvic region towards
the back, also known today as the “V line” or “Adonis belt”. This type of definition is very difficult to achieve and was empathized to an unnatural degree of which can only be achieved due to extreme measures (Varanese, 2013). Also, notice how the crevice in the center of the chest is heavily enhanced by Classical Greek sculptors who conformed to the beauty standards set by their society.
Similarly, sculptures depicted an idealized representation of the female body. When discussing Greek beauty ideals for women, I am going to consider the Goddess Aphrodite. The ‘Venus Callipyge’ is a Roman copy of the original Greek sculpture ‘Aphrodite Kallipygos’, which was also known as “Aphrodite of the beautiful buttocks.” (Bissonnette and Nash, 2015). She was the ideal manifestation of the female image: representing beauty, love, pleasure, and fertility (Bissonnette and Nash, 2015).
Even though it was very common for statues to express the nude male form, it wasn’t for females. Although, the Ancient Greeks were very modest about female genitals in comparison to male genitals, the statue depicted Aphrodite as she prepared to take a ritual bath. She is shown covering her pelvic area with one hand, and holding her garment in the other, leaving her breasts exposed. Through her expression, it is clear that being naked did not bring her embarrassment, which highlighted her Goddess status (Bissonnette and Nash, 2015). Due to society’s standards, a regular female citizen would have felt ashamed to be naked. However, representation in this context caused the Aphrodite of Knidos to become a symbol of sensuality and eroticism; as she is, after all, the goddess of beauty.
Male and female representation both depict the ideal human form, a visual bearer of society’s beauty standards. A nude male form, muscular and in all its glory, was a figure to be honoured and prescribed to the strong, masculine notion. Whereas the female form, on the other hand, was a scandalous, erotic image to be desired. In today’s day an age, it seems like things haven’t changed too much from what is perpetuated throughout Pop culture.
Beauty Ideals: Then Vs. Now
Though not quite as pronounced as modern female beauty ideals, men today also feel pressured to fit into a certain beauty mold (Varanese, 2013). Today’s society shows us how not many things are changed from the past, that the Greek ideal of beauty survives also in present days and it still has strong roots in our minds as the same stereotypes exist. The male body is considered beautiful and handsome if it is slim and muscular, and a man that has vigorous physique is considered strong and attractive (Varanese, 2013). Just like in Ancient Greece, Western society suggest a norm where men must emit masculinity and suppress their feminine side. Same for the female body, today as in the Ancient Greece, the beauty of a woman is appreciated if she has a firm behind and chest. These stereotypes are evident with society's obsession with fitness and celebrities; showing off their figures on social media mirrors the Ancient Greeks perceptions of beauty. As they valued athleticism in men and often displayed athletic heroes in their art or associated Aphrodite with beauty due to her symbolism of sensuality, modern media celebrates men with toned abs and women who show off their curves. Art often reflects the changing values of society, however, our 21st century habits have created idealized versions of ourselves on social media. Whether digitally or surgically, these enhanced bodies provide many similarities to the perfectionist practices of sculptors and artists that can be traced back to ancient Greece.
What can the Ancient Greeks Teach Us About Body Standards Today?
The main lesson we can learn from Ancient Greek’s ideals of beauty is that periodic art is a reflection of the societal norms and expectations of particular eras, but they are not realistic. At the end of the day, the definition of beauty and the ‘ideal body’ is a human construct, and completely in the eye of the beholder. Today, we are so focused on what we see on social media and unintentionally become slaves of a society that always tries to find the perfect beauty. We should look back at the Ancient Greek world to understand that beauty isn’t only a quality of the body but one’s soul; a harmonious mix between aesthetic and moral. So even though, beauty ideals produced by mass media are unattainable, they are meant to be temporary and are subject to change overtime. As a result, we shouldn’t put too much focus on them, rather focus on our beauty within.
References:
Becker, J. A. (n.d.). Riace Warriors (article) | Early classical. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/greek-art/early-classical/a/riace-warriors
Bissonnette, A. & Nash, S. (2015) The Re-Birth of Venus, Dress, 41:1, 1-20, DOI: 10.1179/0361211215Z.00000000036
Nguyen, M. (2014). Aphrodite of Knidos. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/image/2940/
Olson, C.E. (n.d.) Furman University, digital image, accessed 04 December 2020, <http://scholarexchange.furman.edu/art231/40/>
Pomeroy S., et al. 2019. A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society and Culture. (4th edition, Oxford University Press).
Reid, H. (2012). Athletic Beauty in Classical Greece: A Philosophical View. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 39(2), 281–297. https://doi.org/10.1080/00948705.2012.725900
Varanese, J. (2013). Social Construction of Deviance: Male Body Image. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/si/article/view/5226/5913